All writers have one thing in common. We’re passionate about the written word, and we create stories to entertain everyone that encounters our work. But the passion behind our words can often be diluted and restrained, so I thought I’d share some thoughts on why writers do what they do, and some of what it takes.

Books, books and more books

One of the things that indies are told constantly is to have a back

Image of a modern fountain pen writing in cursive script. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

list – a library of books to share with their readers. And I agree with this wholeheartedly. I think that writers need to write. More than anything else. But there are many venues where writers can do so. On blogs, on Facebook, on twitter. You can write on multiple forums, but what you do need to do is look for your fans. Once you’ve found them, you should interact with your followers and potential readers. As for writing your next book – you can stick to whatever schedule you’d like, but ensure that you’re writing your books at a comfortable pace. The last thing you need is to burn out, writing your books.

The difference between advocacy, passion and spam

One of the things I’ve noticed in my short time in the indie community is that there’s a fine line between advocating your work (and others), passion and spamming. Telling people about books is great – telling them about them constantly? You’re only going to bore them and when you’re collecting readers that’s the last thing you want to do. So remember to temper your enthusiasm about your books and ensure that you’re interacting with the rest of the community. Sharing other writers might seem like it’s a few steps back, but to create a cohesive community around your own works, you’ve got to connect with and find other writers that you’re interested in and can share information with and trust to provide you with solid links to pass on.

We’re passionate

Passionate and fun, our first drafts are mostly the most fun part of the whole process – they’re also the hardest work. I like to write daily – and many people agree that forming a positive writing habit is the most important thing. And many writers lose that passion it seems, in the rush to get their books in front of their readers. So I call on all writers to remember their passion – just don’t take it too far.